Astrium is set to deliver Vietnamís first Earth observation satelliteAstrium, is the prime contractor for the VNREDSat-1, the first Vietnamese Earth observation satellite, scheduled for launch on a Vega rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou on 3 May.

Astrium received the order for the VNREDSat-1 programme from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) in July 2010, under an agreement signed in 2009 between the French and Vietnamese Governments.

Under this contract, Astrium is responsible for the development, construction and launch of the VNREDSat-1 optical satellite, capable of taking images of the Earth with a resolution of 2.5 metres.

In Vietnam, Astrium was also prime contractor for the design and construction of the satellite ground control segment and the satellite image receiving and processing stations. The company was also responsible for training the 15 Vietnamese engineers who will operate the satellite.